Assembly Line Cuff Top

My IG partners in crime and fellow Make a Garment a Month (Magam) hosts, Hélène and Suzy thought that we should all make the Assembly Line Cuff Top for the Jiffy June Magamsewalong theme. Piece of cake I thought. Then they wanted to use gingham and Hélène chose blue and Suzy yellow. By the time I got to the conversation I realised that the only colours I had in my stash were those two, so I needed to go shopping!

I bought some fabulous fabric in the silk shop in Birmingham and then realised that, whilst it was checked, it was not gingham! Gingham by definition has a colour and white, so it was back to the drawing board. Then I went shopping with Andrew at Goldhawk Road and he helped me buy these two fabrics, a blush pink and a grey gingham. I wanted to mix them together and the cuff top pattern was perfect as it has a centre seam front and back.

I need to say at this point that I’m not sure that this is gingham either, but I got tired of overthinking it and I loved this fabric! Matching the checks did cause me some angst though, although I got there in the end.

I used an old white cotton shirt donated by my friend Suzanne for the neck facing so that the checks wouldn’t show through.

The pattern is pretty cute, a straight body with grown on sleeves which are gathered into elastic to form cuffs. It also has a boat neck.

I cut the top out so the pink and grey are alternated front and back.

This is a simple top but one which I know I will wear often in the summer. The fabric is beautiful 100% cotton with a lovely hand.

Before I made the gingham top I thought I’d toile it with a 1960s tablecloth belonging to my late Mother in Law. She loved spots and I can absolutely see her hosting a lunch with this cloth on the table. I don’t think it’s been used for years but found its way into my stash. It has a (now faded) green square in the middle with a white border, all sprinkled with spots and a few stripes. I actually remembered to take a photograph of it pre-pressing!

I looked at the sizing and decided I was a medium and the resultant top is on the large side, but I don’t mind it too much. Just for reference, the gingham one is size small.

I had to finagle the pattern a little bit and finished up adding some home made bias binding to the hem as I had to shorten it to fit it on. I didn’t use the front and back centre seams as I decided they would spoil the pattern of the cloth.

I’ve got to tell you that, in spite of it being a bit baggy, I really love this top and my MIL would have loved it too.

I was originally planning to flatlay the top as the weather was too cold to wear it. Then the sun came out and things warmed up so I did a wearable flatlay instead.

The obligatory back view. I really like that the white border looks like a yoke, it is perfectly positioned, which was more good luck than good management. I think the sleeves are too long in this one and definitely too wide and I could shorten the elastic, but I’m not going to change a thing.

I even managed to get the green aligned pretty perfectly. I did try to line those dots up but I didn’t have enough fabric to shuffle the pattern piece across.

Wearing both tops with my Jalie Eléonore pull up jeans which I would swear have shrunk in the wash, but I’ve since realised that my thighs have bulked up a bit from all the walking I’ve been doing.

This is a really nice pattern, wearable and easy to put together. The instructions are very explicit, although I did get momentarily confused when there was a description of how to sew a dart when there are no darts in this pattern. The method of putting the elastic in the cuff isn’t the way I would do it, but it worked really well. I haven’t had a lot of luck with boat necks recently but this one is nice, even in the too big tablecloth version. I will be making many more of these tops I’m sure. I even have plans for a little hack.

It’s a dearly beloved ritual to look at your blog in the morning, Sue.
I’m always happy, even if I sometimes have to use a translator.
Both versions look great! The first a little bit more great. :-))
Which tablecloths can be good for.
I ordered the cut right away. Thank you for your suggestion.

I love both of these tops Sue. They work so well in both fabrics. I’ve made one cuff top (bought the pattern when it came as a one size pattern). I made it in cupro and it came out a bit big, so I unpicked it and took a little out of the centre seam. I haven’t worn it a great deal and I think that’s because the fabric doesn’t have enough drape, the neckline still feels a little wide, and I think it’s a bit long. So I will put it on the alteration pile and do at least the latter …and then see about making another version – because yours are so lovely. Love the standing flatlay. and your jeans and stained glass are beautiful – as are you.

Thank you so much Judith, what a lovely comment. I think this pattern does need a bit of drape, although I would have thought that cupro would be fine. It does run large, so taking it down a size should work well. I am totally in love with both of mine and will probably make more in the summer.